The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game/Tactics/Rivendell

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Why Play Rivendell

You like having knifed ears? Or maybe you like playing the aloof guys with minimal actual investement in middle earth? OR even maybe you wanna play as the guys who are kind-of-sort-of to blame for most of the bad things that happened in setting in one way or another? Or maybe even you just want to play one of the harder hitting armies in the game and don't mind the smell of eliteism (in the movies) or being all around cool guys (in the books)

Pros

• one of the hardest hitting armies in the game, let alone for the forces of good
• Multiple amazing heroes
• some of the coolest models made by GW

Cons

• low model count due to price
• beyond a few certain characters, the average defense value is low

Unit Analysis

Elves as a whole have access an improved version of normal hand weapons: the elven blades. these not only count as either a normal weapon or a 2-handed weapon (only a normal weapon if you have a shield), but also cause you to win ties on a 3+ instead of a 4+.

Heroes

• Elrond: Elrond from the second age and/or when we see him not sitting near Rivendell. With a solid hero stat line, amazing courage, and reroll fate rolls due to his ring of power, Elrond is someone that needs to be carefully dealt with. Knowing both Nature's Wrath to knock everyone down and Renew to heal/support when need be, Elrond's only real "down side" is is expensive price, and it only goes up from here for the half elven

• Elrond, Master of Rivendell: Elrond as we know him in the books/movies. Here we trade his high defense for the ability to modify the priority roll and an upgraded Nature's Wrath. Beyond those changes and a higher point cost, nothing much changes between this version and his older self.

• Gil-galad: At one time he was everyone in the setting's best friend, then he got rekt by Sauron in his "give me back my rings" phase. With fight 9, a spear that acts like a lance no matter if he charged or not, and the ability to go up to Defense 8 with 3 wounds, Gil-galad is a terrifying opponent to duel. Factor in his buff which allows high elf warriors to go up to fight 6 and a larger stand fast range, and he ALSO doubles as a great form of army multiplier. The best part about all of this, however, is the fact that he's actually cheaper than both of elrond's forms, which is laughable, depending on how you value Elrond's 2 spells. Dies easily though with 1 fate point (most similar heroes have 3)

• Erestor: Erestor is the first 'normal' elf hero we have access to. with a standard stat line, a ton of fate for such an obscure character, and the ability to reroll wounds when using his dagger all for a fair (for an elf) point cost makes him a solid choice for any warband.

• Cirdan: Cirdan is an elf wizard with soley buff spells and no real way to harm anyone in a duel due to him being unarmed. with a normal stat line, all be it lacking in the close combat departement, he come with 4 will to make use of his spells. Great for fluffier lists, however you generally have access to better hero options.

• Elladan and Elrohir:while expensive, they are one of the most versatile option you have available to you. with Elf bows and Heavy armour for better Defence and even more great shooting, and horses and cloaks for utility there's a lot to love with these guys. Factor in their different ways to use their swords in combat, and the fact that one gets extra cranky if the other dies, they make for a solid hero choice in mid to high cost games.

• Arwen: Arwen is one of the cheapest elf heroes available, and unfortunately it shows. with a mediocer stat line, low strength, terrible defense, and only knowing Nature's Wrath, she should only be taken for fluff or if you need a cheap hero and don't want to bring a stormcaller

• Glorfindel, Lord of the West: an elf who basically amounts to jaime lannister, but with more sword play and significantly less incest. with 3 attacks, fight and defense 7, and 3 in all of his hero stats, Glorfindel really lives up to his name. Though expensive, if he is brought he had a high chance to earn his points back and then some.

• Gildor Inglorion: Gildor is a cheap supporting character and ONLY a supporting character. with low defense and fate, he should avoid being targeted at all cost, which he can pull because of his knowing the immobilize spell. More than any of this, however, his his high movement of 8, which he confers to fellow WOOD elf warriors for 1 ppm (he also let's you take wood elves from the Lothelorien army).

• High Elf Stormcaller: A cheap elf caster with the ability to (on a 6 on any dice while casting) not spend any of his will. With a support spell and a slight offensive spell (really it just forces your opponent to move his guys around a little), he is good for getting some bodies on the table, but not much else.

• High elf Captain: Just like his human counterparts the elf captain is versitile, and will probably end up being your most brought hero as, even though elves are expensive, you'll want more than few.

Troops

• High Elf Warrior: These are your only troop available, and outside of being tanky, these are the only troops you'll need. With a high fight value and courage, and access to elf bows and elven blades your troops will hit harder than most other armies in the game. Their only flaw comes in when we notice that their highest defense is 6, meaning allying to Minas Tirith or Dwarfs is far from a bad idea.

Cavalry

• Knights of Rivendell:

Allies

As mentioned above, any army who has front-line troops with a higher Defense than 6 is up for fair consideration. A front line of Guards of the fountain court supported by elves with spears or elven blades is a tough nut to crack that also hits like a truck.